1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for operating a function in a touch device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for operating a function in a touch device capable of simultaneously changing an option and executing the function based on an input touch event during execution of a function using a function button provided in a certain mode which is executed in a touch device supporting touch based input, and an apparatus thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the development of digital technology, mobile devices such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), an electronic organizer, a smart phone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC) capable of processing communication and private information while moving have been developed. Through the rapid development of technology, such a mobile device has various functions, including voice call, SMS transmission, moving call, electronic organizer function, camera, e-mail, Internet, and Social Networking Service (SNS).
Recently, mobile devices having a touch screen have become widely available. The touch screen is a device for simultaneously supporting a display function of a display device and an input function of an input device. A user may operate a mobile device by action of touching a screen of the touch screen using a certain object (e.g., finger, point, pen, etc.). When using a mobile device with the touch screen, the user directly touches a corresponding point to input while viewing a screen. Even users not accustomed to using the mobile device may easily use various functions of the touch screen.
Mobile devices have supported execution of a function using a function button provided during execution of a certain mode. Mobile device have also supported various option menus associated with a corresponding function during execution of a certain function in the certain mode. For example, the user may execute a photographing function using a photographing button given in a photographing mode. In addition, the mobile device has supported an option menu for changing various options (e.g., white balance, brightness, exposure, resolution, ISO, etc.) associated with photographing during execution of a photographing function in a photographing mode. Similarly, in a broadcasting mode for watching a mobile broadcasting, the user may execute a recording function using a recording button given in the broadcasting mode. During execution of a recording function, an option menu for changing various options (e.g., channel list, recording date, recording time, recording start time, recording end time) associated with recording is provided. In a messenger mode for chatting between users, the user may execute a transmission function of input texts using a transmission button give in the messenger mode. During execution of a transmission function in a messenger mode, an option menu for changing various options (e.g., font type, the font color, language) associated with an input test has been supported.
However, in a touch based mobile device of the related art, execution of a function using a function button in the foregoing certain mode may be simply performed through touch based input. Meanwhile, for changing various options given in each certain mode, a desired option may be selected by only calling an option menu and passing through great depth in the called option menu. Further, it is inconvenient for a user to separately perform an operation for changing an option value of the selected option. For example, a photographing function may be executed by only touching a photographing button in a photographing mode. However, the user needs to perform a complex procedure to change and set certain options and then to execute the photographing function. For example, to change and set an option value such as a white balance, the user may perform a complicated procedure such as calling an option menu, searching and selecting a white balance menu in a given option menu, selecting a desired option value from the given white balance menu, and applying an optional setting value; changing an option; and executing a function by pressing a photographing button or performing another input action many times. This inconvenience of the user also occurs in the broadcasting mode and the messenger mode.
Typically, when the user changes an optional option value in a certain mode of a mobile device and then executes a function according thereto, there is an inconvenience that the user needs to perform a complicated menu operation and to perform an operation according to setting an optional modification and execution of a function many times. However, in the related art, as the foregoing complicated procedures are performed, it takes a long time to execute a desired function. Because an optional menu search and option setting are not intuitively supported, it is very difficult for a user to change the option.